1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a control unit for oil well pumps and more particularly to a device which will enable adjustment of various conditions encountered by a pumping unit for an oil well and to monitor the conditions at each well site and transmit such information to a central location.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The technique of pumping oil from oil wells has not substantially changed for many years with the incidence of broken pump rods, worn out pumps, engine failures, holes in tubing, flow line breakage, and the like, being almost predictable depending upon the pumping conditions at each individual oil well. The "downtime" of the pump unit reduces the production capability of the well. Generally, personnel are hired to periodically visit the well site and inspect the well pumping operation. While some efforts have been made to provide some variation in the operation of oil well pumping units, presently used pump jacks are normally operated at a constant speed and cycle which frequently introduces inefficiency since the pumping capacity of the pump for each stroke of operation is frequently substantially more than the volume of fluid produced by the formation. Also, downstroke of the pump plunger frequently results in pounding against a fluid column. In the event of failure of a pumping component, the entire pumping unit will become inoperative and, in some cases, even cause major damage to some of the components, since the frequency of inspection by personnel leaves the pumping unit completely unmonitored for extended time periods. All of the above mentioned factors, including the expense of hiring personnel, results in relatively high operating cost for a producing oil well.